Did you negotiate the cost of your homebirth?

[jenfl]

I'm debating between two midwives. The one I've started care with and paid a deposit to is nearly an hour drive away and only does prenatal visits at her office. The midwife I just discovered lives just down the road and does at-home visits (distance is important to me because my first labor was less than 4 hours).

However -- midwife #2 will cost us $650 more, even after they offer us a discount for prenatal visits I've already done. Their rate starts out $1000 over other midwives in the area.

I'm wondering how weird it would be to try to negotiate even more off the price. It feels... odd to me, but I'm also not really sure how they justify the huge price increase.

I know some people barter for part of their bill, but we haven't come up with anything barter-worthy.

[nashvillemidwife]

I would not. If you want to know why they charge more than the other midwives ask them that, because I am sure they do have their justification.

[jengacnm]

I'm willing to bet it's the at home visits. Down the road or not, that's a lot of time as well as a premium offering.